'Noah' rises to top of box office with $44M debut

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- After weathering a sea of controversy, "Noah" arrived in first place at the weekend box office.

Paramount's biblical epic starring Russell Crowe in the titular role opened with $44 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The imaginative take on the tale of Noah's Ark from "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky led some religious groups to claim the story had been inaccurately depicted and prompted Paramount to add a disclaimer to marketing materials noting that "artistic license has been taken" in telling the story.

The polarizing attention apparently paid off for "Noah," which features such additions to the well-known Bible story as angelic rock creatures and chic wardrobes for Noah and his family.

"Noah," which also stars Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson, also sailed smoothly in 22 international markets, such as Russia and Australia, earning $33.6 million abroad.

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Elsewhere at the box office, Lionsgate's teen science-fiction thriller "Divergent" starring Shailene Woodley came in second place and earned $26.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its total to $95.3 million.

"Muppets Most Wanted," the globe-trotting Muppet sequel from Disney featuring Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais, captured third place with $11.4 million in its second weekend.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. 1. "Noah," $44 million ($33.6 million international).

2. "Divergent," $26.5 million.

3. "Muppets Most Wanted," $11.4 million.

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4. "Mr. Peabody and Sherman," $9.5 million ($17.8 million international).

5. "God's Not Dead," $9 million.

6. "The Grand Budapest Hotel," $8.9 million.

7. "Sabotage," $5.3 million.

8. "Need for Speed," $4.3 million ($13.3 million international).

9. "300: Rise of an Empire," $4.3 million ($8.8 million international).

10. "Non-Stop," $4.1 million.

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Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," $75.2 million.

2. "Noah," $33.6 million.

3. "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," $17.8 million.

4. "Rio 2," $14.1 million.

5. "Need for Speed," $13.3 million.

6. "300: Rise of an Empire," $8.8 million.

7. "Frozen," $8 million.

8. "The Monuments Men," $7.8 million.

9. "The Grand Budapest Hotel," $7.5 million.

10. "Ocho apellidos vascos," $7 million.

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.